Physics of Non-Fermi-Liquid Metals

William Marsh Rice University, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

0090071 Si This award supports theoretical research focused on: (1) how electron-electron interactions, possibly acting in concert with disorder, give rise to low-energy excitations that are distinctly non-Fermi liquid in character in high temperature superconductors, heavy fermion materials, dilute two-dimensional electron gases in Si-MOSFETs, and in other mesoscopic structures, and (2) elucidating the elementary excitations in real materials where non-Fermi liquid behavior has apparently been observed. Four specific projects are proposed involving quantum critical behavior in heavy fermions, interacting electrons in disordered two-dimensional systems, probing spin-charge separation in the high temperature superconductors, and non-Fermi liquid behavior in mesoscopic systems. %%% The investigator will perform theoretical research that seeks to understand the nature of unusual low-energy electronic excitations observed in experiments on a variety of (usually low dimensional) materials. These excitations are not like those of ordinary metals and thus do not fit the standard textbook inspired expectation of a Fermi liquid. The mechanisms that can produce these kinds of excitations are poorly understood. Part of this proposal seeks to manipulate quantum dots to produce novel non-Fermi liquid states predicted by theory and may have bearing on developing electronic devices for a future technology. This research lies at the frontiers of condensed matter theory and will contribute to the development of new theoretical techniques and to the training of the next generation of scientists in state-of-the-art methods for materials with strong electronic correlations and disorder.